The Ida Valley Group vision

Thriving Ida Valley community that respects its people and environment, honouring our heritage, while creating a sustainable future

For a recently formed group, they are quickly establishing their purpose along with actions which are motivating land-owners and working toward positive change in their community.

This was the final group meeting for the year, and I have learned quickly that this group really enjoy getting together! There was a good turn out to the meeting, even though it was mid afternoon on a weekday – silage trucks and tractors were busy in paddocks around us but those who could make it came along.

Intensive Winter Grazing

The meeting kicked off with Bruce Monaghan from the ORC catchments team (formerly known as the rural liaison team) to highlight good management practice with respect to intensive winter grazing. Lots of questions and thoughts were put out there during this session and Bruce was kept busy answering questions on different possible scenarios. It is good to get someone like Bruce in to talk through best practice and regulations with while looking at your coming winter’s cropped paddock. Bruce was supported by his new colleague, Simon Park who will be working in the ORC catchments team from Alexandra.

Click here for information from ORC on Intensive Winter Grazing good practice

Summary of activities

In June the group re-formed (after being run as a farm discussion group for a number of years), and became a member of OCC with the 2 leads, Ro and Sam attending the Catchment Leaders forum at Invermay. OCC facilitated a vision and values workshop together with the group in July, which was followed up with a second workshop in October (delayed by Covid), to decide on priority actions which supported the group’s vision.

The woolshed at Ida Valley Station was a great meeting space to come together and summarise the year for this newly formed group. They have worked together closely and covered ground very quickly, chaired well by Sam Stevens.

Actions into the new year

The first action the group will implement is a water testing regime over the summer months. They also plan to bring in an ecologist to begin assessing options for the group to look at as actions towards improved waterway health.

For information on how to implement water testing with your group, click here

This meeting also saw them form a committee, which OCC will continue to support through coordination. The group decided on subs; a way for members to add financial viability to their group, which can be put toward any number of things which benefit that group. Subs are also a valuable addition to a group when applying for external funding, to show there is buy-in from the community.

Thumbnail photo credit: Jenny Grimmett